MAMAL, IOM, others conclude peaceful elections awareness in nine counties

By Lincoln G. Peters

The Migrants As Messengers Association of Liberia (MAMAL) with funding and partnership from the International Organization for Migration (IOM), United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and the United Nations Peace Building Office has concluded phase one of its promoting peaceful electoral environment, and community security in Liberia. 

The Promoting Peaceful Electoral Environment and Community Security in Liberia project seeks to engage and support existing peace infrastructures and community volunteers to conduct peer-to-peer engagement on conflict prevention and political participation in border communities across Liberia’s fifteen counties. Currently, the project has reached nine counties. 

Also, the project aims to ensure that Liberia’s political environment is void of political and electoral violence, hate speech, and conflict as the nation goes toward the 10 October 2023 Presidential and Legislative elections.

The program climaxed recently both in Bong and Nimba Counties, respectively. 

Migrants As Messengers Association of Liberia is a not-for-profit institution that strives to provide accurate information to the public on pressing issues.

MAMAL on 3 August 2023, commenced phase 2 of its awareness campaign in Bong, Nimba, Lofa, and Montserrado counties. It conducted awareness against conflict triggers and electoral violence through interactive dialogue with community members, community leaders, and local stakeholders’ engagement, door-to-door awareness, institutional engagement, and on-air awareness activities. 

Migrant As Messenger Association of Liberia Executive Director, Ms. Catheryn Kenny is quoted as saying that “the awareness campaign aimed at discouraging hate speeches, conflict trigger, and electoral violence, thus, empowering youths and women to promote anti-violence messages through the media and communities’ engagement activities. 

Activities also informed the public and social groups about the Farmington River Declaration peace document signed by political parties’ leaders to uphold peace during and after the elections.  

Messages disseminated during the awareness campaigns were clear, compelling, and simple to ensure that they were understandable and doable to the target audience. 

The messages are being translated into various dialects including Kpelleh, Lorma, and Kissi, among others, which will be a great help to the understanding of the people, something they think has helped and will help them achieve their project objectives. 

The project comes at a time when Liberia is now faced with tense political situations coupled with the war of words from both supporters and presidential candidates that have the propensity to derail the peace of the country. 

“Our team has recruited at least three volunteers in each of the nine counties covered to ensure the rural communities are reached… with the awareness messages,” the MAMAL Executive Director added. 

According to Kenny, the team had several engagements with state authorities and other relevant actors for strategic partnership and proper direction for awareness in the targeted counties.

 Kenny further indicated that radio talk shows, Facebook live coverages, and other communication mediums have been engaged for more visibility and effective dissemination of the awareness content.